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Peppered Pork Roast

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Peppered pork roast with sour cherry salsa: coarsely pepper-crusted pork loin roasted simple, served with a sweet-hot relish of cherries, green chiles, peppers, and cilantro. Holiday-worthy and easy.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

20 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

7 hrs

This is the kind of Sunday roast that looks impressive on the platter but asks for almost nothing from the cook. A whole pork loin gets a hard pepper and garlic rub, roasts in a hot oven for about an hour, rests, slices. Done.

The smart move is the sour cherry salsa. Chopped cherries, green bell pepper, mild green chiles, onion, a spoon of fruit jam, and fresh cilantro with a splash of vinegar. It sits overnight in the fridge so the flavors marry, and by the time the pork comes out of the oven, the salsa is jammy, bright, and sweet-hot all at once.

Two tablespoons of coarsely cracked black pepper sounds like a lot and is meant to be. The pepper forms a serious crust during roasting, which is what the dish is named for. Use freshly cracked, not pre-ground, for real pop.

Rest the roast ten minutes, tented loosely, before slicing. Cutting too soon dumps all the juice onto the board. Ten minutes is the difference between juicy and dry.

Pork loin is lean, so do not overcook it. A thermometer reading 145°F (63°C) pulled from the oven gives you a slight blush in the center, which is safe and tender.

Pro Tips

  • Make the salsa at least a few hours ahead, ideally the night before. The flavors deepen and the onion loses its bite.
  • Crack whole peppercorns in a mortar or under the flat of a knife rather than using a pepper mill for coarser crust-building texture.
  • Pat the roast dry before rubbing. Wet pork will not hold a pepper crust.
  • Roast fat-side up so the fat renders down through the meat during cooking.

Variations

  • Swap sour cherries for dried cranberries or chopped fresh pitted cherries for a similar balance.
  • Use apricot jam instead of general fruit jam for a brighter, more orange-toned sauce.
  • Add a minced jalapeño to the salsa for extra heat and serve with cornbread on the side.

Ingredients

Roast
1 1
EACH EACH PORK LOIN ROAST *
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML BLACK PEPPER
2 10
TEASPOONS ML GARLIC SALT
Salsa
79
CUP ML ONIONS
chopped
79
79
CUP ML GREEN CHILI PEPPER
chopped
79
CUP ML SOUR CHERRIES
chopped *
79
CUP ML FRUIT JAM *
1 ½ 23
TABLESPOONS ML VINEGAR
1 ½ 23
TABLESPOONS ML CILANTRO

Directions

Combine salsa ingredients and mix well.

Cover and chill several hours or overnight.

Rub pepper and garlic salt into pork roast.

Roast in shallow pan at 350℉ (180℃). about one hour.

Let rest 10 minutes, slice, serve with salsa.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 28g (1.0 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 14 0% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 30%
Calcium 1% Iron 4%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Fat-Free, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Sodium-Free, Low Sodium
 

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